Doughnut machine



July 4, 1944- s. A. GARDNER 2,353,024

- DOUGHNUI' MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 $tep'he'n A. Ciardngr July 4, 1944. s. A. GARDNER DOUGHNUT MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 1 Stephe'q A. Gardner v Patented July 4-, 1944 outrun stare I 2;353,024 DOUGHNUT MACHINE Stephen A; Gardner, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to Dcugh-Kingg'flna, Minneapolis, Minn, a eorporatien of- Minnesota Applioationseptember 8, 1941, Serial No. 499,979

6 Claims.

My invention relates to ejeotors for doughnut machines and particularly .to ejectorstutilizing a number oiinclinedbladesextendinginto the cooking liquid, certain of I said-blades -.being adaptedtotbe alternately moveddn relation to the others to remove the doughnuts from the machine.

An object of the invention resides utilizing a revoluble member having a-number of cranks and in supporting all of the bladeson said revoluble member and in supporting said blades-in a manner such that the blades may be easily removed therefrom.

Another object of theinvention resides-in providing a construction for attaching the blades to thecranks. so that said blades." will not become accidentallydisengaged from thecranks;

A still further object of the-invention resides in providing an ejector in which-dougimutsrwill not readily become engaged under the .ends the cranks to unseat the blades.

Anotherobj ectof the invention residesin con structing certain-of the bladeswith alongitudinally extending slot open at the outer endfand' provided with asocket connected therewith and Other objects of the invention-reside in the novel combination and arrangement ofparts and in the details of constructionhereinafterillustrated and/or described.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a-plan sectional view of adoughnut machine illustrating anembodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevationalsectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of aportion of the structure disclosed therein and drawn to a greater scale.

In the use of eiectors for doughnut-machines employing two sets of blades having relative movement, it has been found that where the same are connected totthe crank pinsrby slots extendin through'arlateral edge .ofthe blades, that where the. friction to the downwardmovement of the blades is.appreciable, occasionally the blades becom disengaged from. the crank pins. It has also been found that frequently doughnuts become caught under the end-s01 the.

blades and. particularlynbetween the .blades and the dischargechnteror troughand thus become iniured. The instant invention provides .aconstruction by. means of which these-disadvantagesinay be .overcomeand-at the-same time,v permits of easily and quickly removingthe blades from .thevdough-nut machine :when the occasion arises.

For the purposeot-illustrating my invention, I haveshown a doughnut rmachine'which is-indicated in its entiretyby the: referencehnumeral A and which consists of acase i0 constructed with end walls H and I2 and said walls I3 and M connected therewith. The case A includes uprights Lidisposedat the outercornens of thesame, which extend. throughout the height of the case and-to which the-various walls-areattacheol. g

Within-thecase Ml is disposed a cookingkettle !8 which preferably. of cast-material and whichis constructed with a bottom l-9nand with vertical. walls 2! extendingupwardly therefrom.

The vertical walls are -connected at their upper ends with upper walls 22-and thevarious walls are so arranged as to form a channel 23 which extends-throughout the major portion ofthe kettle. and-whichprovides a way along which the doughnuts may travel. The kettle: I8 has a corner'cf thesame removedas indicatedat 24,

leaving a main portion 25 of the width of the caseand of a length equal to about two-thirdsof the lengthofthe same. This construction also'provides an extension 26 to the kettle which extends up to .-the end wall I2. is supported fromthe case-loin any suitable manner.

The channel 23' is arranged to provide a straight run 552 which commences in close proximity the wail i2 and follows along the wall I4. Thechann-elt-3-atthe-end of the run '32 makes a curve which leads into another straight run 34 following along the wall-ll. At

the end of this run, the channel has another curve "which. leads into still another straight run tii which follows'along thewall l3; At'the end of the run the channel constructed with a loop 3'! which communicates with an S- sliap'ed'run'tfi: The latter run has an end por The kettle H3 rights 45 which ar attached to the case H1 at the locality of the end of the major portion of the kettle formed by the corner 24. Between these uprights are provided glass panels 48 which are slidably supported in guides 41 whereby the said panels may be raised or removed. The hood also includes a top 58, which is carried by the uprights |5 and 45. The hood is so designed that the same encloses the runs 33, 34, 35, 38, 31, 38 and the major portions of the runs 89 and '32,leaving part of the reservoir 4| and the loop 43 disposed outwardly of the hood.

In the reservoir 4| is provided a vertical tubular duct 48, which is connected at its lower end to the bottom of the reservoir 4|. In this duct is disposed a propeller or elevator 49 which is mounted on the armature shaft of a motor 5|. The duct 48 communicates at its upper end with the run 42 of channel 23, thus discharging the cooking liquid from the duct 48 and into the run 42 of the channel from which it flows throughout the course of the channel and is returned to the reservoir 4|.

At the lowermost portion of the reservoir 4! is arranged a clean-out '52 which also serves as a' sump for collecting crumbs and other solid material formed in the operation of the machine. This construction, forming no particular feature of the invention, has not been illustrated in detail. overlying the extension 26 of the kettle I8 is a plate 58 which covers a part of the reservoir 4|, the duct 48, the runs 42 and 43 and a portion of the run 32 of the channel 23. This plate is attached to the case A in any suitable manner.

Situated at the beginning of the run 32 of channel 23 is a doughnut former 53 which comprises a receptacle 54 for dough and a cutter 55 connected therewith. Such construction being well known in the art, will not be described in detail in this application. The cutter 53 is operated from a shaft 56 which is J'ournaled in a bearing 51 attached to the plate 58 and which is driven by a suitable motor and transmission enclosed within a transmission housing 59. Inasmuch as the drive mechanism for the shaft 58 does not form a feature of the invention, the same has not been illustrated. It will thus become readily apparent that doughnuts extruded from the former 53 are deposited in the flowing cooking l quid which travels along the run 32 of channel 23 in the direction of the arrow.

In the run of channel 23 is arranged a twist ed tubular turner 6|. This turner inverts the doughnuts after the same have been cooked a predetermined length of time so that the doughnuts may be properly cooked on both sides thereof.

In the run 34 of the channel 23 and in the portion 48 of run 38 of said channel are located two control devices 62 and 83. These control devices extend into the cooking liquid and are alternately moved from obstructing to unobstructing position to allow the doughnuts to pass one at a time. These devices are operated by means of a shaft 84 driven from the transmission within the case 59. By means of these control devices, the length of the cooking period of the doughnuts on both sides thereof is accurately controlled. Since these devices do not form any particular feature of the invention, the same have not been illustrated in detail.

The invention proper includes an ejector 13 which is disposed in the run 39 of channel 23. This ejector comprises a revoluble member 18 which includes a shaft 15 which is constantly driven from the transmission within the housing 59. This shaft has mounted on it a plurality of cranks 16, all of which extend the same di rection from the axis of the shaft. The cranks 16 have crank pins 1! which are connected together 'by means of bars 18. These bars in turn are connected to pins 19 which are concentrically disposed with reference to the shaft 15 and which form shaft sections constituting a continuation of the shaft 15. In conjunction with the revoluble member 18, two sets of toothed blades 8| and 82 are employed, which extend in inclined relation partly above and partly below the level of the cooking liquid. Both sets of blades are supported at their upper ends b -the revoluble member 18 and are supported at their lower ends upon an inclined rest 83 which is mounted on the bottom IQ of receptacle l8 in the portion of the run 39 connected with the portion 48 of run 38.

The blades 8| are constructed at their upper ends with heads 84 which are formed with slots 85. These slots have longitudinally extending portions 81 which open outwardly through the ends 86 of said blades and with transversely extending portions 88 which form sockets for the reception of the pins 11 of the cranks 16. The ends 86 of these blades are curved as designated at 89 to prevent endwise engagement with the doughnuts and injury thereto. The blades 82 are constructed similarly to the blades 8| and are formed with heads 9| at their upper ends. These heads have transversely extending slots 98 therein which open through the lower edges of said blades and Which form sockets in which the crank shaft sections 19 are pivoted. The heads 9| have depending portions 92 which extend down to the bottom 93 of a trough 94 from which the doughnuts are discharged out of the machine. The bottom 93 of the said trough rests upon the plate 58 and is constructed with two side walls 95 which extend along the kettle and assist in maintaining the doughnuts supported upon the blades 8| and 82.

In the operation of the invention, the blades 82 remain stationary, the shaft sections 19 rotating in the sockets formed by the slots 98. The blades 8| are manipulated by the crank 18 in a manner such that the doughnuts floating along the level of the cooking liquid are engaged by the said blades, raised and moved longitudinally upwardly within the trough 94. When the revoluble member has turned sufiiciently, the doughnuts are deposited upon the blades 82 and the blades 8| return to a lower position in which the doughnuts may be again engaged and further moved along the trough 94. Whenever it becomes necessary to clean the machine, the blades 8| are first raised sufficiently to disengag the pins 11 from the sockets 88 and then the said blades are moved lengthwise, the longitudinal portions 81 of slots moving along the pins until the pins are freed from the ends 88 of said blades.

The advantages of my invention are manifest.

Injury to the doughnuts in their travel along the ejector is eliminated. The device will not readily get out of order. The blades are easily removed for cleaning and to give access to the cooking kettle. My improved ejector may be constructed without additional expense.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. In a doughnut machine, a kettle having a channel along which the doughnuts travel during cooking and formed with a discharge run, a revoluble member at the discharge run having crank means and shaft means, two sets of interdisposed blades within said discharge run, said blades being disposed at an angle with respect to the surface of the cooking liquid and extending partly beneath and partly above the surface of the cooking liquid, one set of said blades being stationary and being supported at their outer ends by said shaft means, the other set of blades being pivoted at their outer ends to said crank means and being moved thereby relative to said stationary blades and means for further supporting said blades.

2. In a doughnut machine, a kettle having a channel along which the doughnuts travel during cooking and formed with a discharge run, a revoluble member at the discharge run having a plurality of spaced cranks connected together by a plurality of shaft sections, two sets of interdisposed blades within said discharge run, said blades being disposed at an angle with respect to the surface of the cooking liquid and extending partly beneath and partly above the surface of the cooking liquid, one set of said blades being stationary and being supported at their outer ends by said shaft sections, the other set of blades being pivoted at their outer ends to said cranks and being moved thereby relative to said stationary blades and means for further supporting said blades.

3. In a doughnut-machine, a kettle having a channel along which the doughnuts travel during cooking and formed with a discharge run, a discharge trough in said discharge run having a bottom, a revoluble member having crank means and shaft means, said revoluble member being disposed with the crank means above the bottom of said trough, two sets of interdisposed blades within said discharge run, said blades being disposed at an angle with respect to the surface of the cooking liquid and extending partly beneath and partly above the surface of the cooking liquid, one set of said blades being stationary and being supported at their outer ends by said shaft means, the other set of blades being pivoted at their outer ends to said crank means and being moved thereby relative to said stationary blades, said stationary blades having depending portions at their outer ends extending downwardly toward the bottom of the trough and means for further supporting said blades.

4. In a doughnut machine, a kettle having a channel along which the doughnuts travel during cooking and formed with a discharge run, a discharge trough in said discharge run having a bottom, a revoluble member having a plurality of spaced cranks connected together by a plurality of shaft sections, two sets of interdisposed blades within said discharge run, said blades being disposed at an angle with respect to the surface of the cooking liquid and extending partly beneath and partly above the surface of the cooking liquid, one set of said blades being stationary and being supported at their outer ends by said shaft sections, said blades having depending portions at their outer ends extending downwardly toward the bottom of the trough, the other of said blades being pivoted at their outer ends to said cranks and being moved thereby relative to said stationary blades and means for further supporting said blades.

5. In a doughnut machine, a kettle having a channel along which the doughnuts travel during cooking and formed with a discharge run, a discharge trough in said discharge run having a bottom, a revoluble member having {crank means disposed above the bottom of said trough, two sets of interdisposed blades, said blades being disposed at an angle with respect to the surface of the cooking liquid and extending Zpartly beneath and partly above the surface of the cooking liquid, one set of blades being supported at their outer ends by said crank means, the other set of blades being stationary, means for supporting the stationary set of blades at their outer ends, said stationary blades having depending portions at their outer ends extending downwardly toward the bottom of the trough and means for further supporting said blades.

6. In a doughnut machine, a kettle having a channel along which the doughnuts travel during cooking and formed with a discharge run, a discharge trough in said discharge run having a bottom, a revoluble member having crank means disposed above the bottom of said trough, two sets of interdisposed blades, said blades be-.- ing disposed at an angle with respect to the surface of the cooking liquid and extending partly beneath and partly above the surface of the cooking liquid, one set of blades being supported at their outer ends by said crank means, the other set of blades being stationary, means for supporting the stationary set of blades at their outer ends, said stationary blades having depending portions at their outer ends extending downwardly toward the bottom of the trough and arranged with their uppermost surfaces inclining in a direction opposite to the direction of inclination of the blades proper, and means for further supporting said blades.

STEPHEN A. GARDNER. 

